Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

I coach HS track and have a runner with enormous talent.  4:30 mile, 2:36 1000, 1:55 800, 50 400.  Problem is, I can’t motivate him to be better.  We have to argue with him to warm up at races and to cool down after.  Prime example, we were at a prestigious meet earlier in January and he waited until 20 minutes before his race to get going.  This was with several coaches telling him he needs to go.  At the All-State meet last year his warm up consisted of putting his uniform on and then laying in the sun.  Yesterday was the straw that broke the back when he didn’t warm up for a race, cool down after and in between races (1.5 hours in between max) sat down and ate an Italian sub.  I could go on and on with examples…

The coaching staff has tried MANY things.  I’ve yelled at him, sweet talked him, held him out of races, sat with him and made season plans, gotten his parents involved, reviewed races and pointed out what could have changed.  Everything seems to be in one ear, out the other.  I’m at my whit’s end about what to do with him to get him to do what needs to be done to be more successful; he should be the top guy in his event in our state.

At this point the coaching staff is ready to give up on him.  Any suggestions as to what to do to get this kid motivated?

Think about it this way. If one is married and has a wife, does the nagging wife get the husband to clean after bitching at him for hours, days, weeks? No, the man withdrawals more. It is typical male behavior.

I would start focusing on all the good things he does for awhile. When looking at this races, point out the positives and eliminate the negatives. Focus on his strengths. Let him know that you care and that you trust him. I think after a while, you might find that he will eventually do the things you want without asking.

Sounds like nothing will really work for him…I mean some people you just can’t motivate and they can have all the talent in the world but will never reach there full potential.  Does he realize that he could possibly get a nice scholarship and wouldn’t have to pay back as many or any student loans?  Does he legitimately want to be there or does he just expect to win with half assed effort?  Whats it like when the kid gets beat?

Old Expression: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”  Just keep leading him to the water as Chad suggests, then let it go.

Break out a cane and pop him on the head.  This is what happen to me when I went to school in Africa.

Let him go his own way. Give him guidance but don’t force it. IF he ever realises his own talent or some kind of desire then great. But if he never does then he would never have missed out on anything anyway.

I had a girl who just didn’t seem to care a few years back.  Her teammates begged her.  I begged.  Other coaches begged.  Her parents begged. I decided that everyone wanted this more than her, so I just told everyone, including her parents, that we needed to all care less than her.  I instructed them to not worry about her and not ask her to care.  She didn’t necessarily get ostracized, but people quit sharing their track dreams and motivations with her.  I told them that if she started caring, make sure that it was coming from her and not because we were motivating her.  Basically, we quit trying to motivate her altogether.  I told kids we would have to pick up our performance level if we were going to get the state trophy we wanted, because we were going to have to do it without her.  The other kids, and her parents, bought into this.  I fully expected her to implode.  She instead started caring a lot and got a first and two seconds at the state meet that year, becoming a more consistent and disciplined worker and great competitor, and leading us to a title.  But it came from HER, not us. 

It’s not that I gave up, but I put her in a position where SHE had to make a decision.  It was the ONE thing she didn’t expect me to do, because she thought we needed her.  We did, just not that much. Had she imploded and quit, I STILL maintain I made the right decision, because she had become a time suck…sucking the time and energy out of the coaching staff with no return for the team.  Now she’s one of my all-time favorites, because of the growth and character she exhibited.  Had she gone the other way, she would have little worth to the track team but her worth as a person would still be the same.  I made this clear when we talked about it. 

I’d make the same thing clear to the young man in question…but you MUST be willing to call his bluff and walk away.  But that will be HIS choice.  If he wants it at all, he’ll change his ways.  If he doesn’t, then you were wasting your time with him on the team anyway, regardless of his talent.  Right now, he has you over a barrel.

Eager - 08 February 2010 04:29 PM

I had a girl who just didn’t seem to care a few years back.  Her teammates begged her.  I begged.  Other coaches begged.  Her parents begged. I decided that everyone wanted this more than her, so I just told everyone, including her parents, that we needed to all care less than her.  I instructed them to not worry about her and not ask her to care.  She didn’t necessarily get ostracized, but people quit sharing their track dreams and motivations with her.  I told them that if she started caring, make sure that it was coming from her and not because we were motivating her.  Basically, we quite trying to motivate her altogether.  I told kids we would have to pick up our performance level if we were going to get the state trophy we wanted, because we were going to have to do it without her.  The other kids, and her parents, bought into this.  I fully expected her to implode.  She instead started caring a lot and got a first and two seconds at the state meet that year, becoming a more consistent and disciplined worker and great competitor, and leading us to a title.  But it came from HER, not us. 

It’s not that I gave up, but I put her in a position where SHE had to make a decision.  It was the ONE thing she didn’t expect me to do, because she thought we needed her.  We did, just not that much. Had she imploded and quit, I STILL maintain I made the right decision, because she had become a time suck…sucking the time and energy out of the coaching staff with no return for the team.  Now she’s one of my all-time favorites, because of the growth and character she exhibited.  Had she gone the other way, she would have little worth to the track team but her worth as a person would still be the same.  I made this clear when we talked about it. 

I’d make the same thing clear to the young man in question…but you MUST be willing to call his bluff and walk away.  But that will be HIS choice.  If he wants it at all, he’ll change his ways.  If he doesn’t, then you were wasting your time with him on the team anyway, regardless of his talent.  Right now, he has you over a barrel.

This sounds like a great idea…might not work for him but great approach on the situation.

IMO, women and men are not one in the same. While this story has rung true for this girl, men typically will further alienate themselves when felt like they aren’t getting attention and put in this situation.

I hear what you guys are saying.  I’ve sat with him and we’ve talked about what he wants to do and what he’ll need to do to get there.  He won’t admit it, but we know that he gets very nervous about races and freaks out over certain things (like when I seeded him in a race faster than he’s ever run).  But many times we’ve talked and I’ve told him I have confidence in his ability and I’d never ask him to do something I didn’t think he could do.  Like I’ve said, I feel I’ve tried everything possible and nothing seems to connect.  And I also feel it’s going to cost him scholarship money come a couple months.  It’s tough to see any kid go down the drain, let alone someone with this kind of talent.

The problem with “ostracizing” him is that his teammates/friends don’t see the problem with him not doing to the bare minimum for performing because in their eyes he’s getting results that they couldn’t dream of.

I think the outdoor season will become us giving him the workout and then the coaching staff focusing on those that want to do well and work for each other.  We had a Frosh/Soph meet today and it was a breath of fresh air.  They all did their laps, warmed up, stretched, cooled down etc, without a coach ever having to say a word to them.  I’ll work with kids like that all day long.